Mato Grosso aims to eliminate the use of native firewood in ethanol plants by 2034.

The government of Mato Grosso signed on Monday (8) an Environmental Commitment Term (TCA) that establishes the elimination of the use of firewood from native vegetation in energy generation boilers used by agro-industries, such as corn ethanol plants, from 2034. According to information released by Reuters, the agreement was signed between the state government and the Public Prosecutor's Office of Mato Grosso (MPMT), after the opening of an inquiry at the end of 2025 to investigate possible irregularities in the use of forest raw materials by the sector. The measure seeks to reconcile the expansion of the bioenergy industry with environmental goals, preventing the growth of segments linked to decarbonization, such as corn ethanol, from stimulating the advance of deforestation. The document was signed by the acting governor, Otaviano Pivetta, and recognizes that the strong expansion of demand for biomass in the state requires structural actions to guarantee a sustainable supply of raw materials. Among the planned initiatives are the expansion of planted forest areas, especially eucalyptus, incentives for sustainable forest management, and the use of agro-industrial waste for energy generation. The plan establishes the goal of increasing the area of planted forests in Mato Grosso to at least 700,000 hectares by 2040. In 2024, the state had approximately 200,000 hectares of planted eucalyptus. The plan also foresees the expansion of the area dedicated to sustainable forest management to 6.5 million hectares or more by 2040. Furthermore, the agreement mandates a gradual reduction in the share of firewood from the suppression of native vegetation in the consumption of large biomass users. According to the established goals, this share should be limited to a maximum of 50% by the end of 2030, 40% in 2031, 30% in 2032, and 10% in 2033. From 2034 onwards, the percentage should be zero. The state government will have 30 days to publish a decree regulating the plan and 90 days to notify companies that use biomass in their production processes.

This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.